Accessibility Advocate Criticizes Emergency Services for Occupying Disabled Parking Bays

An advocate for accessibility has voiced criticism regarding emergency services that utilized “all” of the designated disabled parking bays at a retail complex during a road safety initiative. The event was organized by Cleveland Police at Teesbay Retail Park in Hartlepool on Thursday, in collaboration with Cleveland Fire Brigade and National Highways. Tracie Bestford stated that numerous other “normal” parking spots were accessible, emphasizing that “disabled bays are there for a reason”. Cleveland Police indicated that it had been assigned some of the disabled parking areas and committed to addressing the feedback received. Ms Bestford, representing Hartlepool’s Community Led Inclusion Partnership (Clip), acknowledged that road safety events are “fantastic and much needed”. However, she expressed being “disappointed to see an event over at Teesbay Retail Park that took up the whole of the disabled parking bays”. She added, “To us that just shows that disabled people are just not considered.” She explained that many individuals with disabilities have limited walking ability, necessitating closer proximity to retail establishments. Furthermore, she noted that individuals using mobility aids and wheelchairs require ample space to exit their vehicles. Ms Bestford, who serves as a community development lead at Clip, extended an offer to collaborate with the emergency services for subsequent events. A spokesperson for Cleveland Police stated that the force would “look to seek alternative spaces in the future”. The spokesperson added, “We recognise that the spaces we were allocated were some of the disabled parking bays, and understand this has raised some concern.” The police force also mentioned that the location was selected to reduce potential hazards for pedestrians. Mason Partners, the proprietor of Teesbay Retail Park, has been approached for a statement.